LMDC answers FAQs about 130 Liberty Street/ Deutsche Bank building

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) has acquired the Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street and will oversee the building's safe and timely removal, which is necessary for the implementation of the WTC Memorial and Redevelopment Plan. 

The LMDC has posted answers to frequently asked questions about the building's removal on its website as well as here on LowerManhattan.info.

Click here to view answers to questions regarding the building acquisition, environmental testing standards, air monitoring, contractor experience, and deconstruction protocols.

For additional answers to frequently asked questions about the building deconstruction and removal, timing, emergency procedures, and community outreach efforts, please click here.

View these other LowerManhattan.info stories on the Deutsche Bank Building:

Public Meeting to Address Building Deconstruction
Deutsche Bank Building to Come Down
Deutsche Bank Building on Brink of Deconstruction

Project Overview

* Information provided by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation

The Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street (the "Building") in Lower Manhattan was damaged on September 11, 2001. The condition of the Building was the subject of litigation between Deutsche Bank as its owner and the insurers for the Building.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation acquired the Building from Deutsche Bank on August 31, 2004 and is currently planning to clean and deconstruct the building. LMDC engaged the services of the Louis Berger Group as the environmental consultant to conduct environmental testing and characterization of the building materials, dust, and mold. The testing and characterization process is ongoing and the initial results were released on September 14, 2004. Gilbane Building Company will be performing the cleaning and deconstruction of the building.

Background

On September 11, 2001, the Building was damaged when debris from the World Trade Center broke windows and cut a 15 story gash in the north façade of the Building. Since September 11, 2001, the Building has been unoccupied and has been the subject of litigation between Deutsche Bank and the insurers for the Building.

In October of 2003, Governor Pataki appointed former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to mediate discussions between Deutsche Bank and its insurers. In early 2004, an accord between Deutsche Bank and its insurers was reached to bring down the Deutsche Bank building. The deconstruction will remove the shrouded Deutsche Bank building that had been a constant grim reminder of the events of September 11, 2001.

Under the terms of the accord, LMDC will purchase the land and pay for the deconstruction of the building. The agreement caps the cost of cleaning and demolition to $45 million and the insurers would pay any costs above the agency's cap.

Environmental Testing and Building Characterization

Over the last two years, Deutsche Bank and its insurers have conducted environmental testing of the Building in connection with their litigation. LMDC engaged the services of the Louis Berger Group as its environmental consultant to conduct its own environmental testing and characterization of the building materials, dust, and mold. A report identifying the initial findings of the characterization study of the building and the contaminants of potential concern has been completed by Louis Berger and was released on September 14, 2004. The LMDC is currently soliciting public questions and concerns regarding the characterization results and building deconstruction from September 14, 2004 through October 13, 2004.

• Click here to view the Initial Building Characterization Study Report
• Click here to submit questions and concerns

Cleaning and Deconstruction Work

It is anticipated that work on the deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street will commence in January 2005. The proposed Deconstruction Plan submitted for review to the government regulators provides that the 130 Liberty Street building will be deconstructed in two phases:

• Phase I will involve abatement of identified interior ACBM, cleaning and removal of specified World Trade Center (WTC) dust within the building, and "soft strip and interior gut" of most interior non-structural materials, as well as the erection of the tower crane and hoist on the site. Phase I, is scheduled to begin this winter (2004~2005).
• Phase II will include the abatement of identified Asbestos Containing Building Materials (ACBM) associated with the exterior of the structure, the disassembly and removal of some remaining interior non-structural materials, removal of rooftop mechanical equipment and the remaining building envelope, and then finally the structural components of the building.

The actual timeline and plans for the cleaning and the steps necessary to deconstruct the building will be finalized after the Phase I and Phase II Deconstruction Plans have been approved by the Regulatory Agencies.

The deconstruction of the building at 130 Liberty Street is expected to consist generally of: (a) cleaning and preparation of the building for deconstruction; (b) deconstructing the building; (c) undertaking environmental monitoring during the deconstruction; (d) transporting and disposing of all waste and debris from the building; and (e) backfilling, grading and paving the Site as appropriate following the cleaning and deconstruction.